Twenty Local Nonprofits Benefit from Local Support

Community Contributor Henry Kranz

Community Grants from the Oak Park-River Forest Community Foundation Fund for Forever and several other endowed funds provide twenty local nonprofits with just over $141,700 for programs and operations this year.

On Thursday, October 20, the Community Foundation presented grant checks at its annual Thanksgiving in October event. This year the public event was in the recently restored second floor ballroom of the 19th Century Club.

Community Foundation President & CEO Kristin Carlson Vogen expressed her gratitude for the support from the community that makes these grants possible every year. "Our grants are available thanks to contributions from people in the community. We are thankful to everyone who has helped make our Fund for Forever strong. It is because of your love of our community that we can, forever, make grants back into our community."

In addition to Community Grants, this year, the Foundation has provided almost another $1.1 million in financial support to enhance nonprofits and to provide enrichment experiences for high school students. The Future Philanthropists program and its high school participants, three active giving groups -- Women Leaders in Philanthropy, NextGen Leaders in Philanthropy and Entrepreneur Leaders in Philanthropy - Communityworks Endowment and its Advisors, and Excellence in Philanthropy Awards each contribute to this significant infusion of funding for our community.

The Foundation also honored eleven grantees of the Russell and Josephine Kott Memorial Charitable Trust. The Oak Park-River Forest Community Foundation serves as Corporate Trustee and provides administrative services to the Trust. The Trust's funding focuses on programs for seniors and The Kott Gerontology Institute which trains graduate students in various gerontology disciplines.